


It’s easier when we’re together

by Strawberriesalt



Series: Idols and problems [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Autism, Autism Spectrum, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26883592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strawberriesalt/pseuds/Strawberriesalt
Summary: Seonghwa has a meltdown before ateez are due to go on stage.
Series: Idols and problems [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141196
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	It’s easier when we’re together

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone who reads this. If you find anything wrong with the way I wrote this please let me know I did research on autism but if I have wrote something offensive or incorrect I would like to be educated.
> 
> **i edited the grammar a bit and changed some of the words to make more sense as I wrote the fic late at night and with a headache :))

Being in a kpop group was hard. It was really fucking hard. Hongjoong knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, he knew they’d have to stay up late and wake up early. He knew he’d have to deal with hate comments and invasive fans. What Hongjoong didn’t know was that one of his members would be autistic. 

Hongjoong as the leader wanted to make sure Seonghwa felt as comfortable as possible in the group, he’d never met someone with autism but he put in a lot of time researching the disability. There was a lot of misinformation out on the internet and Hongjoong was surprised to find it annoyed him. It really really annoyed him. Knowing someone who was autistic and reading things people said made him angry but more than that it made him sad. Sad that Seonghwa had to deal with mean comments from ignorant people. 

All the boys had learnt Seonghwa’s triggered and knew how to comfort him and sometimes it was hard but they wouldn’t change it for the world.

***

Seonghwa dealt with loud noises particularly well, and so screaming from fans and crowds shouting didn’t usually irritate him, but like everyone does he was having a bad day. Standing backstage hearing different groups fans yelling felt like someone was holding a drill on his skull and continuously drilling it in to his head. Seonghwa often struggle to convey how he felt and despite wanting to tell Hongjoong how angry he was beginning to feel he just couldn’t. Instead he began to bang his head on the wall, yelling and crying. The building was loud and because of that it took the boys longer than they would of liked to realise what was happening, 

“Hyung,” Jongho said as calmly as possible knowing shouting wouldn’t help and that he needed to calm Seonghwa down “we can move to a quieter place.”

Ateez knows that isn’t possible, with them due to go on stage in 20 minutes but it also seemed like Seonghwa knows that as well as he stops for a moment shakes his head at Jongho and continues banging his head. 

“Hwa, it’s okay everything is okay,” Hongjoong says then turns to the boys “please will someone get his headphones and a lollipop from his bag.”

Wooyoung runs off to the dressing room hoping they can calm down Seonghwa before they have to perform. 

“Woo has gone to get your headphones so soon it will be quite,” Hongjoong gently pulls Seonghwa away from the walls holding his hands stopping him from harming himself “focus on me hwa not on the loud noises” Hongjoong whispers softly.

Seonghwa sobs loudly and shakes his head unable to get his hands out of Hongjoongs grip.

“Too loud” Seonghwa whispers in between sobs so quite Hongjoong can barley hear. 

“I know, I know but Wooyoung will be here soon..” Hongjoong trails off hoping Wooyoung would just appear. 

Seonghwa’s sobs only get louder and Hongjoong feels his heart ache in pain for how much Seonghwa is struggling, he knows Seonghwa can’t go on stage today: Hongjoong also knows he shouldn’t be left alone for a while after a meltdown, but one member can’t miss a performance on such short notice so two members definitely can’t miss a performance.

Wooyoung finally appears in Hongjoongs eye site, he runs closer to Seonghwa placing the noise cancelling headphones over his head. Hongjoong takes one hand away from Seonghwa’s grabbing the lollipop Wooyoung passed to him and opens it with his teeth. He smiles as he hears Seonghwa’s sobs quite down and his breathing becoming more relaxed. Placing the lollipop in Seonghwa’s mouth Hongjoongs heart melts and he instantly relaxes knowing Seonghwa has been consoled, but there’s still the stage problem. 

“I’ll have to go speak to-”

“Don’t worry Hyung the manager has already spoke to the producers and our performance has been pushed back an hour so we can make sure hwa Hyung is okay and then we can perform.” Yunho says cutting Hongjoong off. 

Hongjoong smiles at Yunho thankfully and the guys walk back to the dressing room Seonghwa and Hongjoong hand in hand. 

Being an idol is hard but having his members with him makes it all easier.


End file.
